Also known as: pleads not guilty · pleaded not guilty · pleading not guilty · plea of not guilty · not guilty plea
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A formal response by a criminal defendant at arraignment denying the charges. This plea preserves the right to trial and all related constitutional protections including the presumption of innocence.
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Pamela Phillips pleaded not guilty at arraignment on arson charges. Her lawyer filed written notice of an insanity defense eleven days later without explaining the delay. The prosecutor moved to exclude all mental-disease evidence. The court granted the motion because the notice missed the ten-day deadline and no good cause appeared.
Pablo Perez faced federal fraud charges. After consulting counsel he chose to plead not guilty rather than accept a plea offer. The court accepted the plea and set the case for trial, preserving his right to contest every element before a jury.
Pierce Patterson refused to respond when the judge asked how he pleaded to embezzlement charges. The court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf and scheduled a trial date, ensuring the prosecution would still meet its burden of proof.
Pilar Pena initially pleaded not guilty to drug charges. The prosecutor later offered a reduced sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. When the government breached the agreement, the court allowed her to withdraw the later plea and restored her original not-guilty posture for trial.
Preston Pratt first pleaded not guilty to kidnapping. After learning his codefendant would testify, he changed his plea to guilty to avoid a possible death sentence. The court accepted the plea only after confirming it was voluntary and intelligent.
Philip Powell pleaded not guilty to robbery, was convicted at trial, and received a prison sentence. The court advised him of his right to appeal the conviction and to obtain a free transcript if indigent, protecting his ability to challenge the verdict.
No. In jurisdictions following Model Penal Code § 4.03(2), a defendant must file a separate written notice of intent to rely on a mental-disease defense at the time of the not-guilty plea or within ten days thereafter. Late notice is allowed only for good cause shown to the court. Without timely notice, evidence of mental disease or defect excluding responsibility is inadmissible even though the not-guilty plea stands.
The court must enter a plea of not guilty on the defendant's behalf. This action triggers all ordinary trial rights and places the burden on the prosecution to prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt.
…that it was not the practice in that county to appoint counsel for indigent defendants except in murder and rape cases. He then pleaded not guilty, had witnesses summoned, cross-examined the State’s witnesses, examined his own, and chose not to testify himself. He was found guilty by the judge, sitting without a jury, and sentenced to…
…is there any legal right to take the life of the accused, until guilt is made to appear from all the evidence in the case. The plea of not guilty is unlike a special
…at trial, based on evidence adduced by the State, to find the ultimate facts beyond a reasonable doubt"). "A simple plea of not guilty, Fed. Rule Crim. Proc. 11, puts the prosecution to its proof as to all elements of the crime charged . . . ." Mathews v. United States , 485 U. S. 58, 64-65 (1988). Further, a defendant's…
…and sentenced to death, and that his appeal is currently pending in the Nebraska Supreme Court. Simants' defense rested on a plea of not guilty
…proceedings were in violation of the Constitution of the United States. The motion was overruled. The defendant was arraigned, pleaded not guilty
Yes. A defendant may change a not-guilty plea to guilty at any time before verdict, provided the court finds the new plea is knowing and voluntary. The original not-guilty plea does not bar the change.
No. The plea preserves the presumption of innocence, the right to a jury trial, the right to confront witnesses, and the privilege against self-incrimination. It also triggers the prosecution's duty to prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court must advise the defendant of the right to appeal the conviction. This obligation arises directly from the fact that the defendant pleaded not guilty and proceeded to trial.